United Kingdom
History Although French and English inventors modified the velocipede into the high-wheel bicycle, the French were still recovering from the Franco-Prussian war, so English entrepreneurs put the high-wheeler on the English market, and the machine became very popular there, Coventry, Oxford, Birmingham and Manchester being the centers of the English bicycle industry (and of the arms or sewing machine industries, which had the necessary metalworking and engineering skills for bicycle manufacturing, as in Paris and St. Etienne, and in New England).21 Soon bicycles found their way across the English Channel. By 1875, high-wheel bicycles were becoming popular in France, though ridership expanded slowly. By 1884 high-wheelers and tricycles were relatively popular among a small group of upper-middle-class people in all three countries, the largest group being in England. Their use also spread to the rest of the world, chiefly because of the extent of the British Empire. 20th Century From the early 20th century until after World War II, the roadster constituted most adult bicycles sold in the United Kingdom and in many parts of the British Empire. For many years after the advent of the motorcycle and automobile, they remained a primary means of adult transport. Major manufacturers in England were Raleigh and BSA, though Carlton, Phillips, Triumph, Rudge-Whitworth, Hercules, and Elswick Hopper also made them. Routes *Sustrans UK National Cycle paths Scotland *Sustrans -dedicated Scottish cycle routes *Scottish government Wales See all the dedicated Welsh cycle routes at http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?region=1090921112294. Northern Ireland See all the dedicated Northern Ireland cycle routes at http://www.sustrans.org.uk/default.asp?region=1090921062122. Organisations Distributors *Halfords *Evans Cycles Manufacturers *Pashley United Kingdom *Bike Budi *British Schofols Cycling Association *Bike Events Charity Cycles *Bike for All *Bike Safe Bike theft avoidance *Bike Week National Bike events *Bikeability Childrens cycle training *Cycle Campaign Network *Cycle scheme Tax free Bikes *Cyclist Touring Club *Cycling for Fun *Folding Society Folding bikes *Fourty Plus Cycling Club *New to Cycling *Road Records Association *Tandem Club *Tandem Experience *Trail Break Offroad *Trail Cyclist Association *Tricycle Association *Unicycle UK *Union of UK Unicyclists *Veteran Cycle Club *Veteran Time Trials Association *Womens Cycle racing Association *Womens Cycling Womens racing Regional Cambridgeshire *Cambridge Cycle Campaign Edinburgh *Edinburgh RC cycling club *Edinburgh University Cycle Club *Spokes Lothian Cycle campaign *Edinburgh Bike Co-op Marchmont Bike Shop *Biketrax Tollcross Bike Shop Greater Manchester *Bike Right Cycle Training *Chorlton Wanderers Sunday cycling group *Cycle GM *Cycling Projects in the North West *Greater Manchester Cycling Campaihn *I Bike Manchester *Love Your Bike - Friends of the Earth Campaign *Manchester and District CTC *Manchester and District Ladies Cycling Association *Manchester Velodrome *South Manchester CTC *Stockport Clarion Cycle Club Local Shops *Bicycle Doctor Rusholme *Harry Hall City Centre *Withington Cycles London *Greenwich Cyclists *London Cycling Campaign *World Naked Bike Ride (a protest against oil dependency and car culture) - London ride is one of the biggest. Wiltshire & Gloucestershire Local cycle clubs are: *Corinium Cycling Club *Swindon Wheelers *Swindon RC Local Shops include: *CycleCare Purton *Mitchells cycles * Red Planet Bikes *Halfords (both Cirencester & Swindon) Devon & Cornwall Devon Cycling Community forums: *PlymouthCycling.org Category:Countries